Providence, R.I.--Dr. Lynne B. Ryan, Providence College professor of education, recently was named the co-recipient of the Rhode Island Parent Information Network's (RIPIN) "Education Service Community Award."

Ryan, who was recognized with Barrie Grossi of the Rhode Island Technical Assistance Project for their work involving the Individualized Education Program (IEP), was honored at RIPIN's second annual Community Awards and Fall Fundraiser.

RIPIN assists families and children in achieving their goals for health, educational, and socio-economic well-being by providing information, education, training, support, and advocacy for person- and family-centered care and systems change.

Ryan and Grossi were honored specifically for coordinating the development of the state's IEP form, the guidance booklets, and trainings on how to best use the form. Ryan has been the higher education coordinator for the state's IEP network for the past 15 years.

Each child with a disability who receives special education and related services must have an IEP. The plan creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities.

"I was humbled to receive the award," Ryan said. "The documents developed were a collaborative effort involving hundreds of individuals throughout the state who care passionately about getting it right for children with disabilities."

Ryan has taught at PC full time since 1979. She played an integral role in implementing the merged elementary/special education program at the College in the 1980s. Currently, she teaches Assessment of Children's Individual Differences (EDU 390) and Strategies in Classroom Management (EDU 285) and also supervises student teachers.

Ryan served as chair of the Department of Education from 1996-2002 and earned the College's Lay Faculty/Staff Award in 1998.

Away from PC, she received the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education Award for Outstanding Achievement for her work as chairperson of the education commissioner's Ad Hoc Committee on Learning Disabilities in 1986. She also was a visiting scholar at Homerton College at Cambridge University in England

Ryan earned her bachelor's degree in biology and secondary education from Bridgewater State College and her master's degree in child study from The Ohio State University. She received her doctoral degree in special education from the University of Connecticut.

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